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Constitution and By-Laws of The Spartanburg IBM-PC Users
Group
Effective January 1, 1998
Table of Contents
Article I .......................... Name and Purpose
Section 1.... Name
Section 2/4.. Office location
Section 3.... Purpose of the club
Section 5.... Activities not permitted
Section 6.... In event of dissolution
Article II ............................ Membership
Section 1.... Applicants
Section 2.... Family memberships
Section 3.... Requirements for membership
Section 4.... Membership dues
Section 5.... Termination of membership
Article III ................................ Officers
Section 1.... List of Officers
Section 2.... President
Section 3.... Vice President
Section 4.... Secretary
Section 5.... Treasurer
Section 6.... Librarian
Section 7.... Bulletin Board System Operator
Section 8.... Newsletter Editor
Section 9.... Permission to combine Treasurer/Secretary
Section 10... Replacement of an Officer/Director
Section 11... Filling Officer/Director vacancy
Section 12... Removal of an Officer for cause
Article IV ................................ Board of Directors
Section 1.... Officers on the Board of Directors
Section 2.... Board of Directors meetings
Section 3.... Board of Directors are not paid
Section 4.... Appointment of committees
Section 5.... A majority is a quorum
Section 6.... Filling a board vacancy
Section 7.... Annual financial review
Article V .............................. Standing Committees
Section 1A... Program Committee
Section 1B... Publicity Committee
Section 1C... Membership Committee
Section 2.... Chairperson of 1B and 1C to be elected
Article VI ............................. Temporary Committees
Section 1.... President and Board creates committees
Section 2.... Nominating committee
Article VII ............................. Amendments to the By-Laws
Section 1/2.. Rules for amending
Article VIII ............................. Governance of the Club
Section 1.... Funds to be disbursed by Treasurer
Section 1A... Under $500.00
Section 1B... Over $500.00
Section 2.... Officer nomination procedures
Section 3.... Election Procedures
Article IX ............................. Meetings
Section 1.... Meeting date
Section 2.... Meeting agenda
Section 3.... Robert's Rules of Order required
Article X .......................... Group Communications
Section 1.... Group Newsletter
Section 2.... Meeting Announcements
Article XI .......................... Prohibited Activities
Section 1.... All to serve without remuneration
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Article I
Name and Purpose
Section 1
The name of his organization shall be the Spartanburg IBM-PC Users Group,
hereinafter called the "Group".
Section 2
The principal office shall be located at the discretion of the Board of
Directors.
Section 3
The purposes for which this Group is organized are exclusively charitable and
educational within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal
Revenue law. The Group is organized and will operate exclusively for educational
and scientific purposes in the subject area of personal involvement in the
computer arts and sciences- The Group will promote the interests of members by:
(a) Assisting the exchange and the dissemination of information among the club
members concerning the computer arts and sciences.
(b) Providing practical assistance to members of the Group in those computer
projects which are not for pecuniary gain or profit, including but not limited
to hardware, software, and computer programming.
(c) To publish books, newsletters, magazines, and other periodicals for the
benefit and education of Group members and the general public.
(d) To conduct and sponsor seminars, lectures, and courses relating to the
computer arts and sciences.
(e) To develop and maintain computer centers and laboratory workshops for the
members and the general public, including provisions for time-sharing operation.
(f) Such other appropriate means within the limitations of the Group's By-Laws.
These By-Laws govern the activities of the Group in meeting its obligation to
itself, its members, and the local community.
Section 4
Other offices for the transaction of business shall be located at such places as
the Board of Directors may from time to time determine.
Section 5
Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, this organization shall
not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by an
organization exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1954 or the corresponding provision of any future
United States Internal Revenue law.
Section 6
In the event of dissolution, the residual assets of the organization will be
turned over to one or more organizations which themselves are exempt as
organizations described in sections 501(c)(3) and 170(c)(2) of the Internal
Revenue Code or 1954 or corresponding sections of any prior or future Internal
Revenue Code, or to the Federal, State, or local government for exclusive public
use.
Article II
Membership
Section 1
Applicants for membership are considered members only on payment of Initiation
fees and appropriate dues. Individuals are eligible for membership without
regard to race, color, creed, sex, age, or national origin.
Section 2
All Group memberships are individual, however, sharing a membership with
immediate family members is allowed. In the case of a shared membership, the
membership will be in one name only resulting in only one Group I.D. card and
one vote.
Section 3
Group membership is open to anyone interested in personal computers of any make
or model.
Section 4
Membership dues are payable annually in January in an amount determined by the
Board. There may also be a one-time membership fee of an amount to be determined
by the Board. Partial year dues will be as published by the board. Dues refunds
will not be granted unless a membership is terminated by the Board. Any member
whose annual dues are more than 90 days in arrears will automatically forfeit
membership in the Group.
Section 5
Any individual's membership may be terminated for cause deemed sufficient by a
majority vote of the Board. Any member has a single right of appeal to the
membership at large at the next general membership meeting following. A majority
of members present and voting at such meeting may reverse such termination. No
person's membership shall be terminated solely because of the member's race,
color, creed, sex, age, or national origin.
Article III
Officers
Section 1
The officers of this Group shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary,
Treasurer, Software Librarian, Newsletter Editor, and one (1) or two (2)
Bulletin Board System Operators / WebMasters. The term of office is for one year
from the conclusion of the annual business meeting, or until successors are
elected. The initial Board of Directors meetings of a new term shall be attended
by the outgoing Board members as well as the newly elected Board members.
Section 2
The President is the chief executive officer of the Group and as such presides
over all general meetings and meetings of the Board and calls other meetings as
may be necessary. The President shall sign all written contracts and obligations
of the Group. It is the duty of the President to supervise the activities and
welfare of the Group and do so in a manner consistent with the best interests of
the Group.
Section 3
The Vice-President shall preside in the absence of the President, and shall
carry out other duties as assigned by the President. The Vice-president is an
ex-officio member of all standing committees. The Vice-president shall also be
Chairperson of the Program Committee.
Section 4
The Secretary shall maintain the permanent records of the Group, shall record
the minutes at meetings of the Board of Directors, shall handle all
correspondence involving the Group, shall record all official actions of the
Group , shall perform all other such duties incident to his/her office. She/he
shall prepare an annual report of Group activities for presentation at the
annual Election Meeting.
Section 5
The Treasurer is responsible for managing Group funds in an accurate and timely
manner. Funds are kept in a special bank account maintained specifically for the
Group. The Treasurer will receive all dues and keep a current roster of members
based on their dues status. The Treasurer shall have charge of all money of the
Group, shall record all required fees, shall disburse all debts, shall sign all
checks, and shall ensure that the Board of Directors is apprised of the
financial status of the Group at each Board meeting. The Treasurer insures that
Group funds are properly accounted for and that the records are always available
to the officers and members.
Section 6
The Software Librarian will be responsible for cataloging and maintaining all
software owned by the Group.
Section 7
The Bulletin Board System Operator(s) /WebMaster(s) are responsible for
maintaining the Group's Bulletin Board /Web Pages, including hardware and
software maintenance, acquisition of new software, and other such related duties
as designated by the Board of Directors.
Section 8
The Newsletter Editor is responsible for production and distribution of the
Group's monthly newsletter. He/She is permitted editorial privilege for any and
all articles, letters, or notes submitted to the Newsletter.
Section 9
The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined as a single office.
Section 10
If, in the opinion of the Board, an officer or Director fails to fulfill his
duties, or if an officer or director voluntarily resigns, the Board will select
a replacement to fill the vacancy until the next general election. Should an
officer or Director miss more than three (3) consecutive meetings, the President
will determine the reason and, should they reflect a lack of interest or
inability to participate, the resignation of the officer or director may be
requested by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
Section 11
In the event of a vacancy for any reason in any office, the Board of Directors
shall elect another person to fill the vacancy for the unexpired portion of the
term of such office.
Section 12
An officer may be removed at any time by a two-thirds vote of the Board of
Directors for misconduct, alcohol or drug abuse, incompetence, or malfeasance.
Article IV
Board of Directors
Section 1
The business and property of the Group shall be managed by the Board of
Directors consisting of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer,
Newsletter Editor, Software Librarian , Bulletin Board System Operator(s) /
WebMaster(s), standing committee chairpersons. A majority of members of the
Board must be present at any meeting in order to legally transact business for
the Group. No proxy votes are acceptable. The Board is charged with conducting
Group general meetings in a manner consistent with Group guidelines.
Section 2
Meetings of the Board are generally held at least monthly. Members not belonging
to the Board are also welcome to attend.
Section 3
All members of the Board of Directors shall serve without Compensation.
Section 4
The Board of Directors may establish as many committees as they deem necessary
and may appoint members of the Board to serve thereon.
Section 5
A quorum for the transaction of business at any regular or special meeting of
the Board shall consist of a simple majority of the Board.
Section 6
The Board shall fill any vacancies on the Board within thirty (30) days of the
vacancy by holding a special meeting, if necessary, for this purpose.
Section 7
Finances: The Group will review its finances within 60 days of the end of the
fiscal year. The review will be conducted by the Board. The fiscal year will be
from January 1 to December 31.
Article V
Standing Committees
Section 1
The standing committees shall be Program, Publicity, and Membership.
(a) The Program Committee shall plan and arrange programs of the Group in
accordance with apparent membership interests and the aims of the chapter as set
forth in Article 1. The Program Committee shall also plan and arrange all social
functions of the chapter.
(b) The Publicity Committee shall maintain a mailing list and publish and
distribute all notices and publicity of the chapter.
(c) The Membership Committee shall determine the current standing of the chapter
members. The Membership Committee shall review the Secretary's roll previous to
each meeting to determine the standing of each member. The duties of the
Membership Committee Chairperson are:
i. Ensure that new members register with the Secretary on meeting nights.
ii. Follow-up on members that are not attending meetings and report reasons for
non-attendance to the Board of Directors.
iii. Follow-up on members that do not renew their memberships.
iv. Make name badges for all members of the Group. Distribute and collect the
name badges at each meeting.
Section 2
The Chairperson of the Membership, Program, and Publicity Committees shall be
elected by the voting members of the chapter at the election meeting. In case of
a resignation of a committee chairperson a new chairperson shall be appointed by
the Board of Directors.
Article VI
Temporary Committees
Section 1
The President, with the approval of the Board, creates such committees and task
groups as are deemed necessary to achieve specific Group objectives. Such
committees or groups will be comprised of volunteers from the membership. A
committee chairperson is either appointed by the Board of Directors or elected
by the respective committee members to interface with other committee
chairpersons and officers.
Section 2
A nominating Committee consisting of three voting members shall be appointed by
the Board of Directors at least two months prior to the election meeting. At the
election meeting, the Nominating Committee shall present at least one nomination
for each office, and other nominations shall be honored from the floor.
Article VII
Amendments
Section 1
By-Laws may be amended by two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at
any general meeting provided 1- a quorum is present and 2- copies of the
proposed amendments are mailed to the members at least seven (7) days before the
meeting. Such amendments become final only after adoption by the Group.
Section 2
Any by-law amendment can be brought up under new business for discussion. Action
on the proposed amendment shall be taken at the following Group meeting by a
two-thirds affirmative vote of the members present and voting at that meeting,
given that a quorum is present.
Article VIII
Club Governance
Section 1
All withdrawals and disbursements of Group funds must be conducted by the
Treasurer. Board members may purchase materials for the Group and later be
reimbursed with Group funds if the following rules are followed:
(a) A majority vote of the Board is required for expenditures over $200.00 and
under $500.00.
(b) Expenditures of over $500.00 must first be approved by a majority vote of
the Board followed by a majority vote of members present at a general Group
meeting.
Section 2
Nomination Procedures: One (1) month before an election for a given office is
held, nominations will be opened to the floor. Nominations from the floor must
receive a second and the candidate's name, on consent, will be entered on the
slate.
Section 3
Election Procedures: The election of officers is held during the December
general meeting. Elections are by majority vote of those present on a secret
ballot. No proxy votes (are) acceptable. The Vice-President will conduct the
election. The President and Secretary will count the votes. If a majority is not
obtained on the first vote, a run-off election is held between (the) two (2)
candidates receiving the most votes. The President will vote only in the case of
a tie, thus, his or her vote will be the deciding votes. If there is only one
candidate for a given office, the ballot may be dispensed with and the nominee
elected by voice (vote).
Article IX
Meetings
Section 1
A general meeting is held on the third Thursday of each month. The December
general meeting is the annual business meeting and will include election of
officers. The time and place of special meetings is determined by the Board. All
members will be notified of the time, place, and tentative program at least
three (3) days before each general meeting. Guests are welcome at any general
meeting.
Section 2
The general meeting agenda should be flexible and the following is only an
example of a typical meeting:
- Introduction of new members and/or guests
- Old business
- New business
- Formal presentation
- Questions from the floor about anything
Section 3
All meetings shall be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order.
Article X
Group Communications
Section 1
Group Newsletter: The Group Newsletter is distributed periodically to the
current members.
Section 2
Meeting Announcements: A public announcement will be transmitted to the
news media to state the Group's purpose and provide general meeting information.
This announcement also will be posted by various means within the the community
for the benefit of interested parties.
Article XI
Prohibited Activities
Section 1
No salaries or fees will be paid by the Group to any member of the Group for
services rendered.
rev. Apr. 27, 2005
Copyright © 2005 Spartanburg PC User's Group. All rights reserved.
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